# Community Trust Model of Cannabis Sales May Improve Public Opinion and Social Benefit of Cannabis Legalization

> **Author:** Benjamin Caplan, MD (ABFM Board Certified, MA Lic. #240562, NPI: 1962722637)
> **Publisher:** CED Clinic (https://cedclinic.com)
> **Canonical URL:** https://cedclinic.com/community-trust-model-of-cannabis-sales-may-improve-public-opinion-and-social-benefit-of-cannabis-legalization/
> **Published:** 2020-08-25T13:59:41-04:00 | **Last Modified / Clinically Audited:** 2026-08-31T15:13:18-04:00
> **Clinical Summary:** “You have to make some money before you can do some good”: Balancing the commercial, social and public health objectives in a “community enterprise” regulatory model for alcohol and cannabis In Summary: In the United States, the highly profit-driven nature of the cannabis industry has posed barriers to entry, particularly in regulation and dispensary ownership, […]

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“You have to make some money before you can do some good”: Balancing the commercial, social and [public health](https://cedclinic.com/cannabis-mold-contamination-risks-safety-tips/) objectives in a “community enterprise” regulatory model for alcohol and cannabis

In Summary:

In the United States, the highly profit-driven nature of the [cannabis industry](https://cedclinic.com/cannabis-mold-contamination-risks-recall-safety/) has posed barriers to entry, particularly in regulation and dispensary ownership, and led to aggressive marketing and declining prices. To mitigate these issues, drug-policy researchers have proposed applying a “social enterprise” sales model to legal cannabis sales mirroring New Zealand’s alcohol licensing trusts.

Select retail alcohol outlets in New Zealand that are licensed as trusts are the sole distributors of alcohol in their district and allocate a proportion of their profits determined by the retailer toward grants and charities in the community. In their paper, Rychert and Wilkins propose that as long as conflict of interests are adequately reduced, this model could be a viable one for legal cannabis sales.

Additional Point: To reduce conflict of interests in community trust licensing, elected trustees could be banned from also holding elected positions in local governing bodies.

[More access here](https://cedclinic.com/)

 

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### Verification & Medical Governance

- **Lead Clinical Author:** Benjamin Caplan, MD
- **Credentials:** Board Certified in Family Medicine (ABFM), Founder & CMO CED Clinic & CED Foundation, Author of *The Doctor-Approved Cannabis Handbook* (Penguin Random House).
- **Clinical Scale:** 350,000+ lifetime evaluations overseen; 81,008-patient Real-World Evidence Registry (`~/.ced_rwe_vault.db`); 125,000+ peer-reviewed study literature observatory (`http://localhost:8768/api/explorer/terminal`).
- **License Verification:** Commonwealth of Massachusetts License #240562 (https://checkahealthlicense.mass.gov/).
- **NPI Registry:** 1962722637 (https://npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov/provider-view/1962722637).
- **Ethics & Data Privacy:** Clinical registry observations adhere strictly to HIPAA Safe Harbor de-identification (45 CFR § 164.514(b)) and criteria for secondary research exemption under 45 CFR § 46.104(d)(4).